Luis E Gomez-Quiroz

• BSc, MSc, PhD, (SNI-III), Postdoc (NCI/NIH) www.gomezquiroz.com
• Head of Department at Metropolitan Autonomous University

Growth differentiation factor 11 (GDF11) has been characterized as a key regulator of differentiation in cells that retain stemness features, despite some controversies in age-related studies. GDF11 has been poorly investigated in cancer, particularly in those with stemness capacity, such as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), one of the most aggressiv...

Simple Summary It is well known that non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is an important risk factor in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma, but the implication of cholesterol in this subject remains unclear, especially in western countries where its consumption is particularly elevated. This work provides evidence of a cholesterol-related tr...

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for 85% of primary liver cancer, the third most com-mon cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Its incidence has been increasing in both men and women. In Western countries, high-calorie diets, mainly rich in carbohydrates such as fructose, represent a significant concern due to their repercussions on the...

Cancer cells are characterized by accelerated proliferation and an outstanding adaptation of their metabolic pathways to meet energy demands. The folate cycle, also known as folate metabolism or one-carbon metabolism, through enzymatic interconversions, provides metabolites necessary for nucleotide synthesis, methylation, and reduction power, helpi...

The growth differentiation factor 11 (GDF11), a member of the superfamily of the transforming growth factor β, has gained relevance in the last few years due to its remarkable effects in cellular biology, particularly in the nervous system, skeletal muscle, the heart, and many epithelial tissues. Some controversies have been raised about this growt...

The thalamic reticular nucleus controls information processing in thalamocortical neurons. GABAergic neurons present in this nucleus express the α3 subunit of post‑synaptic GABAA receptors, which bind GABA from globus pallidus neurons. Pallidal neurons, in turn, have dopaminergic D4 receptors in their axon terminals. The thalamic reticular nucleus...

Acetylcholinesterase is a well-known protein because of the relevance of its enzymatic activity in the hydrolysis of acetylcholine in nerve transmission. In addition to the catalytic action, it exerts non-catalytic functions; one is associated with apoptosis, in which acetylcholinesterase could significantly impact the survival and aggressiveness o...

Alcohol-induced pancreas damage remains as one of the main risk factors for pancreatitis development. This disorder is poorly understood, particularly the effect of acetaldehyde, the primary alcohol metabolite, in the endocrine pancreas. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a protective protein in many tissues, displaying antioxidant, anti-apoptotic,...

El presente número de Contactos, se presentan una serie de textos que muestran la relevancia y pertinencia que tienen nuestros posgrados, que son, más que una serie diversa de programas de docencia para la adquisición de conocimiento altamente especializado; son programas que se sustentan en dos vertientes principales: a) la generación de nuevo con...

Osteosarcopenic obesity (OSO) has been associated with increase immobility, falls, fractures, and other dysfunctions, which could increase mortality risk during aging. However, its etiology remains unknown. Recent studies revealed that sedentarism, fat gain, and epigenetic regulators are critical in its development. One effective intervention to pr...

Cadmium is a toxic element to which man can be exposed at work or in the environment. Cd's most salient toxicological property is its exceptionally long half-life in the human body. Once absorbed, Cd accumulates in the human body, particularly in the liver. The cellular actions of Cd are extensively documented, but the molecular mechanisms underlyi...

The preservation of the chondrogenic phenotype and hypoxia-related physiological microenvironment are major challenges in the 2D culture of primary human chondrocytes. To address this problem, we develop a 3D culture system generating scaffold-free spheroids from human chondrocytes. Our results highlight the chondrogenic potential of cultured human...

Abstract Aim: Cholestasis remains a partially characterized disease. Evidence has been gained that it is a systemic disease that begins in the liver but significantly impacts other organs and systems such as the kidney, heart, and intestine, among others. One of the primary damage mechanisms is the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which...

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is considered one of the most aggressive tumors worldwide. The consumption of lipid-enriched diets, mainly high cholesterol, induces oxidative stress and chronic inflammation, leading to HCC progression. Moreover, fatty acids and cholesterol could display differential responses on immune cells inside the tumor immune...

Background Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is common in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients and despite recent advances in the treatment represents still the major cause of death. It may be established within the first 4 years of SSc and frequently is subclinical [1]. To evaluate the presence of ILD, there are different available tools in addition to...

Revista Motu Cordis. Instituto Nacional de Cardiología

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) has been proved to protect the liver against α-naphthylisothiocyanate (ANIT)-induced cholestasis by acting as an antioxidant agent and redirecting toxic biliary solutes towards blood for urinary excretion. However, this may represent an additional potential risk for kidney integrity, which is already compromised by th...

Introduction and Objectives he prevalence of cholestasis has been increasing in recent years; The excretion of bile acids via basolateral has been demonstrated to prevent the excessive accumulation in the hepatocyte, and the liver-intestine axis has been seen affected by enterohepatic circulation deregulation. The epithelial permeability loss cause...

Introduction and Objectives Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ranks as the second leading cause of cancer death globally; this neoplasm accounts for approximately 90% of liver cancers, and about 850,000 new cases are reported annually. Several factors increase the likelihood of developing HCC, such as excessive alcohol consumption, hepatitis B and C v...

Introduction and Objectives Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common and aggressive form of liver cancer. Until 2020, worldwide, it has been ranked 5th and 3rd in terms of incidence and mortality, respectively. HCC has various etiologies, but tumors formed by high cholesterol intake induce an aggressive phenotype and high tumor-associated...

Introduction and Objectives HCC is one of the main causes of cancer-related death worldwide and has third place in mortality. One of the main risk factors is metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), having hepatic steatosis, and related metabolic disorders. Mexican population has the highest obesity rate in both children and adults, and th...

The latest studies on the epidemiology of diverse types of cancers have located in the scene the relevance of liver tumors, particularly hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HCC is a life-threatening malignancy triggered by chronic exposure to hepatitis B and C viruses, excessive alcohol intake, hepatic lipid droplet accumulation, and aflatoxins that le...

The mechanism of damage of the biliary epithelium remains partially unexplored. However, recently many works have offered new evidence regarding the cholangiocytes' damage process, which is the main target in a broad spectrum of pathologies ranging from acute cholestasis, cholangiopathies to cholangiocarcinoma. This is encouraging since some works...

Background Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) is characterized by deregulation in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, with a very high mortality rate. Glucose Transporter type 4 (GLUT4) plays a crucial role in T2D and represents a therapeutic target of interest. Tillandsia usneoides (T. usneoides) is a plant used as a remedy for diabetes. T. usneoides decreased...

Dysregulation of joint tissue homeostasis induces articular degenerative changes and musculoskeletal diseases such as osteoarthritis. This pathology represents the first cause of motor disability in individuals over 60 years of age, impacting their quality of life and the costs of health systems. Nowadays, pharmacological treatments for cartilage d...

Introduction and objectives It is well-known that signaling mediated by the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and its receptor c-Met in the liver is involved in the control of cellular redox status and oxidative stress, particularly through its ability to induce hepatoprotective gene expression by activating survival pathways in hepatocytes. It has be...

Membrane contact sites (MCS) are typically defined as areas of proximity between heterologous or homologous membranes characterized by specific proteins. The study of MCS is considered as an emergent field that shows how crucial organelle interactions are in cell physiology. MCS regulate a myriad of physiological processes such as apoptosis, calciu...

Editorial on the Research Topic Tumor Cell Metabolism and Autophagy as Therapeutic Targets Cancer is a group of alterations in the normal functioning of a cell. As is known, the tumor cell has adaptations to its environment that allow it to proliferate in conditions unfavorable to a normal cell. Within these changes is the so-called aberrant metabo...

Growth differentiation factor 11 (GDF11) has been characterized as a key regulator of differentiation in cells that retain stemness features. Recently, it has been reported that GDF11 exerts tumor‐suppressive properties in hepatocellular carcinoma cells, decreasing clonogenicity, proliferation, spheroid formation, and cellular function, all associa...

Several countries around the world have faced an important obesity challenge for the past four decades as the result of an obesogenic environment. This disease has a multifactorial origin and it is associated with multiple comorbidities including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, osteoarthritis, metabolic syndrome, cancer, and dyslipidemia. With regar...

Several countries around the world have faced an important obesity challenge for the past four decades as the result of an obesogenic environment. This disease has a multifactorial origin and it is associated with multiple comorbidities including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, osteoarthritis, metabolic syndrome, cancer, and dyslipidemia. With regar...

Background and aim: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fourth cause of cancer-related death and its incidence has been increasing in both men and women. One of the main concerns has been the consumption of hypercaloric diets mainly rich in carbohydrates such as fructose. High fructose diet is related to the development of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liv...

Infertility is a growing worldwide public health problem, and stress is a main factor exerting detrimental effects on female reproduction. However, knowledge regarding the neuroendocrine changes caused by chronic stress in females is limited. Therefore, this study assessed the effects of stress on hormones that control female reproduction during th...

Inflammatory diseases remain critical health problems worldwide. The search for anti-inflammatory drugs is a primary activity in the pharmaceutical industry. Cacalol is a sesquiterpene with anti-inflammatory potential that is isolated from Psacalium decompositum, a medicinal plant with several scientific reports supporting its anti-inflammatory act...

Introduction and objective: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease remains as one of the main liver disorders worldwide. It is widely accepted that is the kind of lipid, rather than the amount deposited in the cells that determines cell damage. Cholesterol and saturated free fatty acids are deleterious lipids when accumulated but, in contrast, there ar...

Nutritional status, in particular overweight and obesity, as well as sedentarism and high-fat diet consumption, are important risk factors to develop chronic diseases, which have a higher impact on the elderly’s health. Therefore, these nutritional problems have become a concern to human healthspan and longevity. The fatty acids obtained thru the d...

Muchas preguntas han surgido de una aparente diferencia genética entre latinoamericanos y europeos respecto a la infección con el SARS-Cov2 y el desarrollo del COVID-19; esta diferencia no necesariamente se encuentra relacionada con aspectos inmunológicos, sino también con diversos aspectos moleculares. Como quiera que fuere, son preguntas que solo...

Cholestasis is a clinical syndrome common to a large number of hepatopathies, in which either bile production or its transit through the biliary tract is impaired due to functional or obstructive causes; the consequent intracellular retention of toxic biliary constituents generates parenchyma damage, largely via oxidative stress-mediated mechanisms...

Growth Differentiation Factor 11 (GDF11), a member of the super family of the Transforming Growth Factor β, has gained more attention in the last few years due to numerous reports regarding its functions in other systems, which are different to those related to differentiation and embryonic development, such as age-related muscle dysfunction, skin...

Background. HIV-1 infection has stimulated the development of various strategies for infection control, such as the administration of antiretroviral drugs; however, treatment dependence and persistent infection problems have led to the design of new molecular strategies specifically targeting the editing of the viral genome through the use of nucle...

Linoleic acid (LA) is an essential and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid that mediates a variety of biological processes, including migration and invasion in breast cancer cells. Phospholipase D (PLD) catalyses the hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine to produce phosphatidic acid and choline. Increases of expression and activity of PLD are reported i...

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the deadliest infectious diseases in humankind history. Although, drug sensible TB is slowly decreasing, at present the rise of TB cases produced by multidrug‐resistant (MDR) and extensively drug‐resistant strains is a big challenge. Thus, looking for new therapeutic options against these MDR strains is mandatory. In the...

Introduction/objectives Articular cartilage is the target tissue of osteoarthritis (OA), and because it lacks capillary networks, the microenvironment is hypoxic. Hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) regulates the homeostasis of this tissue. The aim of this study was to investigate whether genetic polymorphisms of the HIF-1α signaling pathway...

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the deadliest infectious diseases in humankind history. Although, drug sensible TB is slowly decreasing, at the present the raise of TB cases produced by multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) strains are a big challenge. Thus, looking for new therapeutic options against these MDR strains is manda...

Background and aim: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) comprises between 75% - 85% of reported cases of primary liver cancer and is the fourth cause of cancer-related death in men mostly. The consumption of hypercaloric diets mainly rich in carbohydrates such as fructose has increased in recent years. High fructose diet is related to the development of...

Background and aim: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) comprises between 75% - 85% of reported cases of primary liver cancer and is the fourth cause of cancer-related death in men mostly. The consumption of hypercaloric diets mainly rich in carbohydrates such as fructose has increased in recent years. High fructose diet is related to the development of...

Among hepatic diseases, cholestatic ductopenic cholangiopathies are poorly studied, and they are rarely given the importance they deserve, especially considering their high incidence in clinical practice. Although cholestatic ductopenic cholangiopathies have different etiologies and pathogenesis, all have the same target (the cholangiocyte) and sim...

Objective There is no consensus on the embryonic components or morphogenetic processes involved in mature ventricular outflow tract development. Our goal was to use in vivo labelling to investigate the prospective fate of the myocardium of each conal wall. The conal and atrioventricular cushion mesenchyme changes during transformation into mature s...

Ginkgo biloba (EGb761) is a widely used botanical drug. Several reports indicate that EGb761 confers preventive as well as anti-tumorigenic properties in a variety of tumors, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We here evaluate functional effects and molecular alterations induced by EGb761 in hepatoma cells and non-malignant hepatocytes. Hepa...

Transcriptional changes by EGb761 in hepatoma cell lines and human hepatocytes. Transcriptomic changes to controls (untreated cells) after 24h, 48h and 72h EGb761 treatment of Keap1, Nfe2l2, Mapk1 and mTOR are demonstrated. The data are means ±SD of three independent experiments. (TIF)

Top molecular and cellular functions identified by Ingenuity Pathway Analysis in hepatoma cell lines and human hepatocytes. (PDF)

Full-length membranes of western blotting. Membranes of full-length western blotting (WB) of (p-)AKT, (p-)mTOR, (p-)ERK1/2, Nrf2, Keap1 and corresponding beta-Actin of untreated (-) and 24h, 48h and 72h EGb761 treated (+) THLE5B and Pitts1 cells. (PDF)

Low pressure plasma polymer films were synthesized using pyrrole and allylamine monomers and adding iodine was used (or not) for the reaction in both cases. They were polymerized on glass substrates under the same reaction conditions. Polymerization of allylamine was also studied at different operating powers. These thin polymer films were used as...

Non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) encompasses a broad spectrum of histopathological changes ranging from non‐inflammatory intracellular fat deposition to non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which may progress into hepatic fibrosis, cirrhosis, or hepatocellular carcinoma. Recent data suggest that impaired hepatic cholesterol homeostasis an...

Introduction and aim: Obesity is a worldwide epidemic problem, described as a risk factor for hepatic diseases, such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and other pathologies related to development of cholesterol crystals and cholesterol gallbladder stones. It has been reported that cholesterol overload may cause hepatic damage; however, little i...

Exposure to particulate matter (PM) has been implicated in oxidative stress (OxS) and inflammation as underlying mechanisms of lung damage and cardiovascular alterations. PM is a chemical mixture that can be subdivided according to their aerodynamic size into coarse (CP), fine (FP), and ultrafine (UFP) particulates. We investigated, in a rat model,...

Metabolic factors are the major risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, although other factors may contribute steatosis. Cadmium exposure produces histopathological and molecular changes in liver, which are consistent with steatosis. In the present study, we describe the effect of low cadmium acute treatment on hepatocytes obtained from mice fed...

El periodo comprendido entre 1861 y 1867, marcado por la ocupación extranjera, particularmente por Francia, es sin lugar a dudas rico en gestas de patriotismo sin igual en la historia de México por la coyuntura política, militar e incluso religiosa del periodo en cuestión; sin embargo, poco se ha abordado de manera concreta el estado que guardaban...

Acute pancreatitis is a multifactorial disease associated with profound changes of the pancreas induced by release of digestive enzymes that lead to increase in proinflammatory cytokine production, excessive tissue necrosis, edema, and bleeding. Elevated levels of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and its receptor c-Met have been observed in different...

Historical background Since its discovery in 1914, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) has attracted attention of many research groups, making AChE one of the most studied proteins. The great physiological relevance of AChE has prompted exhaustive research to know its substrate preference, catalytic mechanism, sensitivity to inhibitors, active site topolog...

The biotransformation of ethanol in hepatocytes leads to the production of acetaldehyde, an organic compound even more toxic than ethanol and responsible of practically all noxious effects associated to ethanol intake. Although the mechanism of acetaldehyde-induced cell injury remains partially characterized, it is well-known that cellular redox di...

BACKGROUND The chronic inflammatory process is a critical characteristic in several diseases. This condition has an important impact on the quality life of patients, as well as on their economic and social state. Patients in this condition use several anti-inflammatory agents, which are classified according to their chemical nature as steroidal (SA...

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have gained considerable attention in recent years because of their direct involvement in the regulation of multiple physiological and pathological processes. Under normal conditions, ROS have an important role in cell signaling and function as essential mediators of cell homeostasis. However, imbalance between ROS and...

Primary liver cancers represent the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Diverse etiological factors include chronic viral hepatitis, aflatoxin and alcohol exposure as well as aberrant liver lipid overload. Cholesterol has been identified as a key inducer of metabolic impairment, oxidative stress and promoter of cellular dysfunc...

Background and aim. Growth differentiation factor 11 (GDF11) has been recently characterized as an important regulator of proliferation and differentiation in cells that retain stemness features but its role in cancer cells is not characterized yet. Here, we focused to elucidate the regulatory effects induced by GDF11 in hepatocellular carcinoma (H...

The biotransformation of ethanol in hepatocytes leads to the production of acetaldehyde, an organic compound even more toxic than ethanol and responsible of practically all noxious effects associated to ethanol intake. Although the mechanism of acetaldehyde-induced cell injury remains partially characterized, it is well-known that cellular redox di...

El Dr. Arturo Panduro Cerda nació en la icónica ciudad de Tlaquepaque Jalisco en el seno de una familia de artistas que sin duda le heredó la sensibilidad que se observa en su quehacer médico y científico. Prácticamente toda su formación académica básica la llevo al cabo en su ciudad natal, trasladándose posteriormente a la capital del estado para...

Background Currently, two pathogenic pathways describe the role of obesity in osteoarthritis (OA); one through biomechanical stress, and the other by the contribution of systemic inflammation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of free fatty acids (FFA) in human chondrocytes (HC) expression of proinflammatory factors and reactive oxyg...

Nowadays, reactive oxygen species-mediated cellular signaling is a growing field. The evidence of the requirement of these species in cellular processes such as proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis and even, survival, is leaving clear that reactive oxygen species are not just noxious entities, not anymore. As it happens in many biological syst...

This study was conducted to measure the activity of the enzyme glutathione S-transferase (GST) in saliva and to compare the activity of this enzyme in children with and without dental fluorosis in communities with different concentrations of naturally fluoridated water. A total of 141 schoolchildren participated in this cross-sectional study. Child...

Volumetric cell cultures are widely used as an experimental model to mimic the characteristics and responses of cell in tissues in vivo. Hepatocytes, particularly, are highly specialised cells, their geometrical conformation, and their coculture with no parenquimal cells and vascularised tissue, are essential to their physiology and proper function...

Volumetric cell cultures are widely used as an experimental model to mimic the characteristics and responses of cell in tissues in vivo. Hepatocytes, particularly, are highly specialized cells, their geometrical conformation, and their coculture with no parenquimal cells and vascularized tissue, are essential to their physiology and proper function...

The Hepatocyte Growth Factor (HGF) displayed an antioxidant and survival response in two pancreatic cell lines challenged with the toxics alcohol and it oxidative metabolite, acetaldehyde. HGF response in pancreatic cell lines Could help to figure out the molecular mechanisms of pancreatic recovery.

An artificial liver support system is based on the functional hepatocytes being cultured inside a bioreactor; this technique has being used as an effective therapy for treating chronic liver diseases in recent times. This work evaluates different parameters such as cell viability and metabolic function of the hepatocytes when cultured on a hybrid s...

Abstract Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disorder that is characterized by articular cartilage breakdown , osteophytes formation, and subchondral bone sclerosis; its development and progression are mediated by proinflammatory mediators, as well as by reactive oxidative species (ROS). Recently there has been identified a mitochondrial protein...

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis is one of the leading causes of liver disease. Dietary factors determine the clinical presentation of steatohepatitis and can influence the progression of related diseases. Cholesterol has emerged as a critical player in the disease and hence consumption of cholesterol-enriched diets can lead to a progressive form of t...

Abstract Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis and is frequently diagnosed and managed in primary care; it is characterized by loss of articular hyaline cartilage, which is a unique connective tissue that physiologically lacks blood vessels. Articular cartilage survives in a microenvironment devoid of oxygen, which is regulated b...

Recent studies confirmed a critical importance of c-Met signaling for liver regeneration by modulating redox balance. Here we used liver-specific conditional knockout mice (MetKO) and a nutritional model of hepatic steatosis to address the role of c-Met in cholesterol-mediated liver toxicity. Liver injury was assessed by histopathology and plasma e...

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis and is frequently diagnosed and managed in primary care; it is characterized by loss of articular hyaline cartilage, which is a unique connective tissue that physiologically lacks blood vessels. Articular cartilage survives in a microenvironment devoid of oxygen, which is regulated by hypoxia...

Mecanismo celular y molecular de la fibrosis hepática INTRODUCCIÓN La fibrosis se puede definir como un proceso de cica-trización no fisiológico que se asocia con el depósito de un exceso de proteínas de matriz extracelular (MEC) que distorsiona la arquitectura normal del órgano y lleva a un mal funcionamiento. La acumulación progresiva de pro-teí...